


Summer Formal

by AlmondRose



Series: Hogwarts Au [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fireflies, Hogwarts AU, M/M, Pre-Relationship, alfred is a house-elf, bruce is like a fifth year ok, the ending is kinda open so intrepret how you will, this is important because of reasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 03:30:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9366053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlmondRose/pseuds/AlmondRose
Summary: It's Bruce Wayne's fifth year at Hogwarts, and there's a dance.





	

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to all the anons who told me they loved my hogwarts au :')

“There’s a _what?”_ Bruce asked, finally lifting his face from his book.

 

“A dance, Bruce,” Clark said, nervously twisting his tie in his hands. Bruce squinted at him. The other boy was standing up, so he blocked the sun, but the rays were peeking around his head, giving him a halo.

 

“When was this announced?”

 

“This morning,” Clark said. “In the common rooms.”

 

“I didn’t go to bed last night,” Bruce said. “Stayed in this tree.” The tree he meant, of course, was the one he was sitting under.

 

“I could tell,” Clark said. “You weren’t at breakfast.”

 

“Sorry,” Bruce said. He wasn’t sure if he meant it. “Tell me more about this...dance.” Clark beamed at him, and it was brighter than the rays around his head. He sat down next to Bruce.

 

“Fourth years and up only,” Clark starts. “Unless a fourth year invites a third year as their date. It’s going to be right before break, and I’ve heard it’s supposed to be _really cool.”_

 

“Who told you that?” Bruce asked. There hadn’t been any dances in the last five years Bruce’d been there, and neither Clark nor Bruce knew very many older students.

 

“My dad,” Clark said.

 

“You told the _picture of your dad_ before you told me?” Bruce asked, feeling miffed.

 

“It was in my hand at the time!” Clark said. “I’m sorry!”

 

“Urg. Whatever. Are you going?” Bruce asked. He didn’t really think dances sounded very fun, but if Clark was going, he might, too.

 

“I don’t know,” Clark said. “It sounds really fun.”

 

“Do you have to bring a date?” Bruce wondered, squinting at a girl who walked past. Dinah saw him looking and flipped her middle finger at him.

 

“Maybe,” Clark said. “I dunno.” Bruce thought of bringing a girl to the dance, and cringed. He didn’t really know any girls he’d be willing to date. Maybe if he could convince one that it was just as friends, or something.

 

“Do you think _you’ll_ go to the dance?” Clark asked, elbowing Bruce.

 

“Maybe,” he said. He supposed he’d have time to think about it, though. Term didn’t end for another couple of weeks.

 

\------

 

Any illusions Bruce had of actual time to think were quickly dashed, as the dance was all anyone could talk about.

 

“Iris and I are going together, of course,” Barry said, reaching for more food.

 

“I’ve asked Sheyeara,” John said.

 

“And I said yes,” Sheyera said, rolling her eyes and smiling.

 

“Who are you gonna ask, Hal?” Barry asked, turning to face his best friend. The Gryffindor froze.

 

“A….Carol?” he said, swallowing his food. “I dunno.”

 

“What about you, Clark?” Oliver asked.

 

“Uh,” Clark said. “I dunno.”

 

“Are you even going?” J’onn asked. They had all somehow made an exception for J’onn about dates. It was just universally recognized that he wouldn’t bring one--or need one.

 

“Yeah,” Clark said, nodding rapidly. “I’m going. I’ll find a date later.” Bruce turned to glare at his food. He wondered if he could ask Clark to go with him, then he shoved the thought aside.

 

“What about _you,_ Spooky?” Hal asked, leaning over the table to poke Bruce’s arm. Bruce turned his glare from the food to the other boy. Hal backed away, smiling.

 

“I have a date,” he ground out.

 

“Wait, you’re _going?”_ Ollie asked, his mouth hanging open.

 

“Yes,” Bruce snapped.

 

“With who?” Dinah asked.

 

“None of your business,” he growled.

 

“If it’s a secret, there’s probably no girl at all,” Hal said, crossing his arms.

 

“Of course there is,” Bruce said, and he winced. Now there was _no way_ he could ask Clark. “Whatever. This doesn’t matter, anyway.” He stood up and gathered his bags, swooping away.

 

\-----

 

“You shouldn’t lie to your friends, Master Bruce,” Alfred said, puttering around the kitchen. Bruce groaned and banged his head on the table.

 

“I know,” he moaned. “And now I have to find a _date._ A female date.”

 

“Plenty of females would love for you to bring them,” Alfred said.

 

“That’s the problem,” Bruce said. “There are only so many I can actually _stand.”_

 

“Well, hurry up and find one!” Alfred said. “The dance is in a week!”

 

“I know,” Bruce moaned into the table. “Believe me.”

 

“Sleep on it and try to find someone tomorrow,” Alfred advised. “Up you get.” His small hands helped Bruce stand. “Actually sleep in the Slytherin dorms tonight!”

 

“I will,” Bruce said, as the house-elf pushed him out of the kitchens.

 

“You’d better!” Alfred called, his voice scolding but kind, and Bruce slipped into shadows to guide him back without being caught.

 

\------

 

“Hey, Wayne,” a voice said, stopping Bruce in his tracks. The girl had put her hand on his arm. He turned. Talia al Ghul’s big green eyes stared at him.

 

“What?” he asked.

 

“Want to go to the dance with me?” she asked. He blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that.

 

“Of course, I don’t need to,” she said, her hand gripping his arm tighter. “But if you want--”

 

“No thanks,” he said. “Sorry.”

 

And he rushed out of the common room, wishing he had just said yes.

  


\------

 

“I’m taking Clark,” Diana said, unexpectedly. “To the dance.”

 

“What?” Bruce asked, startled.

 

“As friends,” she clarified.

 

“Oh,” Bruce said, and he smothered the disappointment bubbling in him.

 

“I’m sorry,” she offered.

 

“Whatever,” Bruce muttered, and he turned away.

  


\------

 

He waited in the corners, in the shadows. The lights flicked on and Selina shrieked.

 

“Bruce!” she cried. “You can’t do that!”

 

“Sorry,” he said, not that sorry. “Come to the dance with me?” She snorted.

 

“Did you really break into my dorm and lurk in the shadows to ask if I’d go to the dance with you?”

 

“Yes,” Bruce said. She laughed.

 

“You are too much, Bruce Wayne.”

 

“So will you?”

 

“Sorry,” she said. “Me ‘nd the girls are going in a group. No dates allowed.”

 

“Quinn and Isley will just leave you halfway through to snog in a broom cupboard,” Bruce said. “Ditch them and come with me.”

 

“Ohh, you’re desperate,” Selina said. “But no.”

 

“Who else am I to take?” Bruce asked.

 

“For future reference,” Selina advised him, “don’t let a girl know she’s the last resort. Ask Vale.”

 

“What?” Bruce gaped. “But I don’t--”

 

“She’s a girl. She’ll go with you. Her face isn’t terrible,” Selina said. “Now shoo. You aren’t supposed to be in here.” Bruce scoffed and rolled his eyes, vanishing into the shadows.

 

\-------

 

He found himself in the room where the _Hogwarts Daily,_ the school newspaper, was made. He leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms and glaring inside. Clark was working diligently with Jimmy, on something in the far end of the room. Even though Bruce had done nothing to indicate that he is here, Clark turned and smiled brilliantly at him. Bruce looked away and smothered the butterflies in his stomach. Vale had a free period about then, so Bruce thought she would be there any second.

 

“Why are you lurking in the doorway?” a familiar voice asked. Bruce turned to look at Lois.

 

“Waiting,” he said.

 

“For what?” Lois asked, and Bruce remembered, suddenly, that she was his friend. And a girl. And maybe available.

 

“Want to go to the dance with me?” he blurted. She blinked.

 

“Um,” she said. “What makes you think I’m still avalible?”

 

“Are you?” Bruce asked, given that he had not actually thought about it.

 

“I was gonna just take Jimmy if I wasn’t asked by the end of the week, because Clark’s going with Diana,” she said. “So sure.”

 

“Great!” Bruce said.

 

“Cool,” she said, rocking on her heels. “See you later? Unless you wanted something else?”

 

“Oh right,” Bruce said, and he left.

 

\------

 

Bruce waited by the entrance to the Great Hall, music wafting out of the open doors. Vicki Vale had passed him and asked if he was coming alone. He shook his head, and she frowned and walked away.

 

“So who’re you taking?” Hal asked. He was wearing green dress robes and Carol was wearing bright pink.

 

“She’s coming,” Bruce said, crossing his arms uncomfortably.

 

“If you say so,” Hal sang, while Carol dragged him away.

 

“Do you really have a date?” a voice asked from next to him.

 

“Yes,” he snapped, turning to face her. Kate smiled cheekily at him.

 

“Well, _I_ don’t have a date, because lesbianism is hard, and I supposed maybe _you_ wouldn’t have a date because Clark’s going with Diana.”

 

“I don’t like Diana,” Bruce said stiffly.

 

“That’s not what I said,” Kate said, elbowing him. He sighed.

 

“I _am_ taking a girl to the dance,” he said. “She’s just late.”

 

“Is she cute?” Kate asked. Bruce shrugged. He looked at her. She was in red dress robes.

 

“Why are you here, if you don’t have a date?”

 

“I don’t have to have a date to have fun, cousin dearest,” she said. “Besides, I heard a rumor about Maggie Sawyer’s dress that I _have_ to see for myself.”

 

“You’re hopeless,” he said.

 

“So are you,” she said. “You probably cried in the kitchens at three in the morning, asking Alfred how to woo Clark properly.”

 

“I did nothing of the sort,” Bruce sniffed. He didn’t admit how close she was to the truth. “And who says I want to woo Clark, anyway.”

 

“Fine,” Kate said. “Stay in denial. I’m finding Maggie Sawyer and her dress.”

 

“Kate?” Bruce called, when she was nearly at the door. “Montoya might be worth a shot.” Kate grinned.

 

“Thanks,” she said, and she went inside. Bruce turned to face the stairs again, where Lois was running down.

 

“Sorry I’m late,” she panted. “Jimmy got caught in the giant squid.”

 

“How did that happen?” Bruce asked, presenting his arm to her. She took it and he led her in.

 

“Cat did a story about the history of the squid, so she needed pictures. Unfortunately, the squid got excited, and, well….you can imagine the rest.” Bruce _could_ imagine the rest, so he chuckled.

 

“Want to dance?” he asked, spotting Clark and Diana in the middle of the dance floor.

 

“Sure,” Lois said. Bruce led her to the dance floor just as the song changed to a slower one. He put his hands on her shoulders and she mimicked the gesture.

 

“Do you know how to dance?” he asked.

 

“More or less,” she said. “I mean, I _am_ a pureblood, like you. I had to do all the wizarding stuff as a little kid, too.”

 

“I forgot,” he said.

 

“That’s fine,” she said. “How’s Alfred doing?”

 

“Fine,” he said. “Are you doing anything over break?”

 

“No,” she said. “I mean, I might tease Lucy because she didn’t get to come to this, but that’s all. You?”

 

“Uncle Jacob is taking us to the mountains,” Bruce said. “Alfred, Kate, and I.”

 

“Sounds fun,” Lois said. Bruce spun her. He chanced a look in Clark’s direction. The other boy was staring at them, with an unidentifiable expression on his face. Bruce looked away. He tried to focus on his conversation with Lois. He kept looking at Clark, who was always looking at them.

 

Bruce wasn’t sure if Clark was staring at Lois or at him.

 

“Do you think he’s jealous?” Lois asked, interrupting his thoughts. Bruce startled and saw that she, too, was staring at Clark. “Is that why you brought me? To make him jealous?”

 

“No,” Bruce said. He had thought of it, but ultimately it wasn’t the reason. “Is he looking at you or me?”

 

“Both,” she said, tossing her hair and turning back to Bruce. “Definitely both.” Bruce looked back at Clark, who wasn’t dancing anymore. Diana and J’onn were dancing, now. He looked back to Lois.

 

“Shall we go to him?” She grinned at him.

 

“Absolutely.”

 

\-----

 

“Can you even climb a tree wearing that?” Clark asked, looking at Lois.

 

“Um, yeah,” she said, lifting her skirts to reveal converse under her dress robes. Bruce snorted from where he was, already up in the tree.

 

“Okay then,” Clark said, grabbing a lower branch and hoisting himself up.

 

“Show off,” Lois snorted, climbing after him.

 

“At least I didn’t vanish like Bruce,” Clark called behind him.

 

“It’s my trademark,” Bruce said, leaning down a little. Clark settled on a branch a little lower than his, opposite side of the trunk, and Lois went higher, in between them. She sighed.

 

“Nice night,” she said.

 

“I don’t even like dances,” Bruce confessed.

 

“I know,” Clark said.

 

“I prefer to be finding new stories,” Lois said. “Dances always have _tons._ But I had fun.”

 

“Me too,” Clark said.

 

“It wasn’t terrible,” Bruce said.

 

“Thanks,” Lois said, dryly. Bruce laughed and kicked his feet, peering in through the wide windows to the Great Hall. The dance was still in full swing, everyone laughing and clearly having fun. Bruce was glad he’d moved outside.

 

He spotted Kate and Diana, dancing together. He smiled.

 

“It’s better out here,” he said.

 

“Yeah,” Lois agreed.

 

“Guys, look,” Clark said, sounding stupidly happy. Bruce turned to see his friend pointing down at the ground, at--

 

“Fireflies?” Lois asked, clearly skeptical. “So?”

 

“I love fireflies,” Clark said, jumping down from the tree. Bruce and Lois exchanged a look. “C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

 

“I’ve literally never done this,” Bruce said as he climbed down.

 

“Me neither,” Lois said, following him.

 

“You purebloods need to get out more,” Clark said. “Look!” A firefly flickered to life a few feet away, and Clark ran to catch it.

 

“It’s awkward when it’s just me!” he called, and Bruce sighed.

 

“Fine!” Lois said, and she ran towards the next light that flickered. One flew right by Bruce’s nose, and he still thought it was dumb, but he caught it anyway. Just because it was there, of course.

 

And if he let that one go and went to catch more, well, Clark and Lois wouldn’t tell anyone.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed and comments/kudos are ALWAYS welcome :)


End file.
